Review of Drunken Master (1978) by Justin T — 18 Aug 2013

Drunken Master is largely a retread of Jackie Chan's previous Kung Fu venture Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, but that makes it simple and just another entertaining Kung Fu venture which is well choreographed, strongly directed and utterly more comical.

Although it is practically exactly the same as Snake in the Eagle's Shadow since it has a hugely similar plot and structure, the same director and the same actor, there's no reason to complain about that because Drunken Master is one of Jackie Chan's finest works. This is because its a compelling and well structured Kung fu story with a serious plot, but balanced with hilarious dynamics. Drunken Master is absolutely hilarious because of the zany two main characters making a hilarious on screen duo, combining the talents of actor Jackie Chan with the equally hilarious dynamics of actor Yuen Siu-tien and forming a great comedic duo who work the eastern slapstick humour in the perfect cheap entertaining manner. They bring the energy of Drunken Master to life and make it the success that it is and deserves to be recognised as.

Really there had been plenty of great elements incorporated into the story by director Yuen Woo-ping on Drunken Master and it comes together greatly, consisting of many themes and fine elements with the predominant one being an entertaining source of comedy.

The comedy establishes a non-serious atmosphere which make Drunken Master an easy film to watch with simple humour in its eastern physical comedy style, the mind Charlie Chaplin would do if he were a Kung Fu master.

So of all of Jackie Chan's foreign language martial arts pieces, Drunken Master is one of his most entertaining and surely one of his funniest, thanks to him and Yuen Siu-tien.